


The Mannerisms of People In Love

by celestialminghao



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Crushes, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Getting Together, M/M, Oblivious Wen Jun Hui | Jun, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-06 18:11:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16392611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialminghao/pseuds/celestialminghao
Summary: So privately, Junhui makes the decision to start more paying attention to Minghao and his mannerisms, just to see if he really is in love.----------It’s taken Junhui way too long to realize 1) he likes Minghao and 2) Minghao likes him, too, the dumbass.





	The Mannerisms of People In Love

Soonyoung had just blurted out that Minghao has a crush on Junhui. Junhui can’t remember exactly what did prompt the reveal. Maybe he was claiming no one likes him, or something. But, as of right now, all Junhui can think about is how wrong Soonyoung must be.

“I doubt it,” Junhui says, pretending to be bored, but his mind is reeling. “Has he admit this to you?”

“No,” Soonyoung says. “But literally everyone can tell.”

“I couldn’t tell,” Junhui retaliates.

It’s a weak argument because rarely does the crush ever notice straight away. Most of the time there has to be some terribly obvious event or someone ends up spilling the beans, like in Junhui’s case. So Soonyoung groans. “Well! Of course, you can’t!” He argues. “The… _Crush-ie_ can never tell! This is common knowledge, Junhui.”

“Not common knowledge to me,” he fires back, feeling stupid from the argument.

Regardless, Soonyoung just rolls his eyes. “I’m telling you, Minghao really likes you. And you’ve got to either be straight up with him or quit… Leading him on.”

“ _Leading him on_?”

“Yes. _Leading him on_.”

“How have I lead him on?”

“Because!” Soonyoung starts, realizing he’s losing Junhui’s attention on the matter by the second. “You’re always super nice to him! You offer him rides home! You- You speak Mandarin to him!”

“That last one is because we’re both Chinese, thus I’m, like, the only person he knows in Korea that speaks Mandarin…”

Soonyoung is about to continue the conversation, but their front door opens to Seungcheol and Mingyu, already explaining the others will be up shortly, there was just parking complications. And so, the topic is dropped.

 

**Four hours.**

 

It wasn’t really dropped, not to Junhui anyways. No, Junhui is stuck thinking about what was supposedly giving away Minghao’s ‘obvious’ crush.

Honestly, it raises the questions of what _are_ the mannerisms of people in love.

Maybe there’s fidgeting and fighting the urge to reach out and take the others’ hands, dopey smiles and lovestruck gazes that Junhui never quite notices.

Of course, Junhui’s had crushes on people in the past and of course, when his efforts are denied or ignored, it destroys him. But, he’s not really into Junhui, obviously, Soonyoung is just reading too much into everything they do.

But, there’s the idea that Minghao does like Junhui.

It makes Junhui feel special, maybe. After all, he is Minghao’s crush. Junhui’s the one that Minghao gets all flustered around, might stumble over most of his words, up all night thinking about the next time he’ll see Junhui.

Then again, Minghao doesn’t really act like that. He doesn’t act like a person in love. Not that Junhui has ever noticed.

So privately, Junhui makes the decision to start more paying attention to Minghao and his mannerisms, just to see if he really is in love.

 

**Three days.**

 

The bubbles of Minghao’s beer swirl to the top of the glass. He tips the bottle slowly, with a steady hand around the neck of the bottle. He’s leaned forward a bit, watching the bubbles at eye level.

To Junhui’s left is Seungcheol and to his right is Mingyu. Unsurprisingly, they’ve been making something like goo-goo eyes at each other the entire meal, so Junhui orders a fourth beer.

And once the server leaves, Minghao glances up briefly up from his bubbling drink. “Didn’t you drive here?”

Junhui shrugs. “Most of us did,” he says, ignoring the conversation Seungcheol and Mingyu were having over his head. “And everyone else is drinking.”

“Not as much as you,” Minghao replies coolly. “And Soonyoung already left with Wonwoo… I doubt he’d want you to _interrupt them_.” His voice practically drips with suggestion. Minghao pushes his second beer away and brings his water glass closer. “Give me your keys, I’m driving you home tonight.”

It takes a damn good minute for Junhui’s chest to stop thumping.

Soon, Junhui has finished his fourth - and Minghao’s second - beer. Seungcheol and Mingyu left together and Minghao is leading Junhui out the door to his car.

Junhui decides to sit in the backseat, stretched out in the back and staring up at the ceiling. He watches Minghao adjust the seat for a second before he blurts out. “Is it ‘cause you’re tiny?”

“What?” Minghao turns to see Junhui flat on his back. “I’m not tiny. I’m- I’m not _tiny_.”

“Tiny~” Jun sing-songs. “Like- Like you’re just… So little…”

Minghao fights a giggle, then turns to face front. Junhui starts to fade in and out of consciousness as Minghao quietly drives them to Junhui’s apartment building. Minghao flicks on the radio to occupy his mind.

Once Minghao has found decent parking and roused Junhui enough to at least lead him up the two flights of stairs, he mumbles out needing Junhui’s apartment keys. “You coming inside with me?” Junhui asks, positively buzzed.

“Have to make sure you don’t collapse as soon as you’re inside, obviously,” Minghao replies. “I might as well stay the night, have to make sure you don’t choke on your own vomit, either.”

The thought makes Junhui scrunch up his nose and groan. “ _Gross_ ,” he says. “You could have kept that bit to yourself, you know.”

“Sharing is caring.”

That makes Junhui, in his drunken state, laugh. He actually laughs quite a bit at the statement and Minghao has to hold his friend steady, eventually opting to pull one of Junhui’s arms over his shoulders and allowing most of Junhui’s weight to relax onto Minghao. “You’re so funny,” Junhui breathes out.

“I’ve been told…” Minghao finally gets the keys off of Junhui, they both quickly make it inside.

Due to Junhui complaints of lights being too bright, Minghao guides them through the blind darkness. Eventually finding Junhui’s bedroom. “Are you sleeping on the couch?” Junhui asks.

Junhui then figures, again, in his drunken state, that if Minghao likes him so much he wouldn’t turn down sharing the bed. Junhui wasn’t necessarily opposed to sharing a bed with Minghao either. Maybe he would offer if Minghao does end up agreeing to the couch. “I mean… I suppose so. I don’t mind.”

Flopping down on the bed, Junhui cranes his neck to look at Minghao’s outline. “Do you just want to sleep here?”

“In- In the bed? With you?”

“Yeah.”

Minghao’s outline pushes his bangs out of his eyes. Junhui thinks about how cute Minghao always looks when he messes with his hair like that. “If- If you’re okay with that… Then- Then I don’t see why not.”

Once Minghao is laying down next to Junhui, the silence gets broken again. “Have we ever shared a bed together?”

“No.”

“Does this make you uncomfortable?” Because, in his drunken state, Junhui is now figuring that if Minghao has such a big crush on him, sharing a bed with your crush might make you nervous and stutter a bunch - which Minghao did stutter a few times.

Minghao turns to look up at the ceiling. “Why would it?”

And what Junhui does not want to do, is put Minghao in the uncomfortable position of confronting him on his crush right then and there. He’s not going to tell him what Soonyoung told Junhui and nothing else comes to mind. Maybe Junhui feels a bit stupid just for a second. So Junhui just looks up to the ceiling himself. “I don’t know.”

Shortly after, Junhui falls asleep to the sound of Minghao’s steady breathing. The next morning Minghao leaves some time after Junhui’s hangover has some basic treatment.

Eventually Soonyoung comes home, sporting hickies that start near his collarbone and dip down his shirt. Junhui tells him about last night. “And you still don’t think he likes you.”

“He took me home because I was tipsy. Any decent person would do that same… That doesn’t mean he has some crush on me,” Junhui says, thinking it’s more to convince himself at this point.

Soonyoung, sitting at their breakfast bar with a cup of coffee, rolls his eyes and presses his face into his hand, showing off more of his hickies. Instinctively, Junhui brings his hands to his own collarbone and swallows hard. “You’re impossible. You guys shared a bed!”

“Beats the fuckin’ couch… Or, y’know, sleeping in your bed….” Junhui mumbles. “‘Probably have Wonwoo’s selfies printed out, covered in fuckin’ jizz…”

Soonyoung throws the roll of paper towels at Junhui’s head. “Shut the fuck up. You’re impossible and disgusting.”

The rest of the morning is then spent on the details of Soonyoung’s night, making Soonyoung the ‘disgusting’ one in Junhui’s opinion.

 

**Three weeks and two days.**

Once news of Mingyu and Seungcheol finally getting together reached each member of their friend group, there was more bits of information being released by the lovebirds. Mingyu is telling Junhui about how it started for them. “Remember when a couple of us went out for dinner? Last month?”

Junhui remembers it as the night he shared a bed with Minghao. They haven’t seen much of each other since then. Mostly group outings, not a lot one-on-one. They got coffee two weeks ago, but that was only since they ran into each other. Maybe it bothers Junhui, just a little. “Yeah, of course. You two couldn’t stop staring at each other.”

He laughs, shoving Junhui just a bit. “Shut up! Shut up… I like him, okay?”

“I can tell.”

“We went back to his apartment… Hyung claimed we were just going to watch some of this show he had been telling me about… But then, when we got there and he sat real close to me and… Then he and I were holding hands…”

Stopping on the sidewalk, Junhui almost throws his hands up. “That’s so- so- so…”

“... Gay?” Mingyu suggests timidly.

“ _Sweet_!” He nearly shouts. “Holy shit, that’s so sweet! I fucking- I fucking want that shit!”

Pulling Junhui to the side, out of the other bystanders’ way, Mingyu laughs. “With someone in particular?”

When it’s Minghao that immediately flashes through Junhui’s mind, he nearly shivers. “No.”

“No one?”

“Nope.”

“Oh… Okay.”

 

**Two and a half hours.**

 

Mingyu suggests they stop by some restaurant for lunch, specifically leading Junhui towards the one diner both Mingyu and Minghao work at. Mingyu explains it as wanting to use his employee discount.

The two find seats the the counter, signaling for someone to come down and take their order shortly after they’re situated. Junhui figures it just has to be Minghao on shift. “Oh hey,” he starts.

“You guys come for lunch, right?” Minghao smiles a bit. Junhui thinks he looks cute in his uniform.

Mingyu already knows what he wants, but Junhui needs a moment. “Just decide for me,” Junhui eventually tells Minghao.

“You sure?” He asks.

“Yeah, why not? You work here, you must know the menu well…” Junhui explains, then makes a big show of pressing one hand to his chest and using the other to sync with his batting eyelashes. “I _trust_ you,” he assures.

Once Minghao leaves, Mingyu turns to face Junhui immediately. “You good?” he asks, glancing back to Minghao, who was telling the line cook their orders.

Junhui glances up to Minghao, too. “I’m fine.”

 

**Four days.**

 

It’s another get together with a handful of friends since Jeonghan just moved apartments. It was a small party, everyone scattered throughout Jeonghan’s slightly largee living space. It was Soonyoung, Junhui, Joshua, Minghao, and the new couple, of Seungcheol and Mingyu, left on the terrace.

They were having a slightly heated discussion about some current events, Junhui and Seungcheol mainly leading the talk. Seungcheol just spat out something about the United Nations meeting and Joshua cracks a joke about one of the leaders referring to the event as ‘ _alternative facts_.’

“I doubt anyone needs to actually worry anymore… Shit, like you said, the guy was getting laughed out of the UN,” Junhui says.

“He’s fuckin’ crazy, honestly, I’m amazed someone like him can be given any real power,” Seungcheol admits. “Makes you wonder about the rest of the world. Jesus, I have nightmares about what could happen in Korea… Y’know I heard he was agreeing with CPC about removing term limits. Kinda scary, right?”

“I mean, I don’t think America - Nor China, thanks - will actually agree to that… I think the lesson has been fuckin’ learned,” Junhui almost sneers.

It takes a minute for what Junhui said to sink in for Seungcheol, who quickly tries to defend himself. “I wasn’t- I wasn’t saying that- that the Chinese- that Chinese people would agree with that, I just meant that the CPC was suggesting it and the states’ president was also… Saying--”

“Look, it’s a touchy subject,” Minghao suddenly interjects. “You didn’t mean anything by it, but the comment… Was a bit careless.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t—”

“It’s _touchy_ ,” Minghao cuts Seungcheol off, taking a moment to hold his breath in the hopes he didn’t terribly offend his senior. “It’s a very touchy thing in China, okay? And- And sometimes people talk about it… Carelessly, and it upsets… Us. Just- Just take that… Into account…”

“But—“

“To be fair,” Joshua finally speaks up. “It didn’t help that you were comparing it to Trump… Especially when we were all just agreeing that the guy is absolutely nuts and shouldn’t be in power.”

“I know!” Seungcheol suddenly shouts. “And I just meant that… The CPC is hoping to remove term limits which isn’t good and- and the fact that Trump… Was agreeing isn’t good…” He gets flustered, so Mingyu rests a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort Seungcheol. “I’ve heard Xi was talking about embracing that? The-um-removal of term limits...”

“That would practically throw us back into the fuckin’ Mao-Dictatorship…” Junhui comments.

“Yeah,” Seungcheol finally breathes. “And Trump… Agreeing to- Envying… That. So clearly he’s either ignorant to what that exactly means or he probably doesn’t understand the consequences of tyranny.”

“Sounds callous as all hell to me,” Joshua remarks quietly.

“Either way he’s pretty ignorant to the consequences of tyranny…”

A few moments of silence settle, so Minghao breaks it with an apology. “Hyung… I’m sorry about… Snapping like that, I’ve just-uh-I’ve noticed on occasion that sometimes people here… Talk about China - like- like my-” He looks to Junhui. “-our home, kind of carelessly, without regard to how we take it and… I get a little defensive. I didn’t… Understand what you were trying to say before.”

“Yeah, I figured…” Seungcheol nods. “Don’t worry, we’re good.”

To follow in suit, Seungcheol makes a motion for Minghao to follow him inside, to probably switch their tense topics for a lighter one. Out of, most likely, loyalty or obligation, Mingyu follows behind and Joshua ends up joining. Junhui and Soonyoung stay out on the balcony, Junhui shrugs off the chill he feels in favor of having private time with his friend.

Once Soonyoung sees they’re totally alone, his eyes snap in Junhui’s direction. “Do you believe Minghao has a thing for you now?”

And as much as Junhui does want to say he sees it and that maybe something is developing on his end, too, he swallows hard. “I- I still don’t see it…” Junhui argues, feeling like he’s once again only trying to convince himself. “It affects us both… Sometimes… People here can be a little harsh about talking about… China, the Chinese, they make me- us feel weird when… We talk in Mandarin in public- It’s something we both experience, that doesn’t have to mean anything.” Junhui fidgets with his hands, looking to the parking lot below them.

Soonyoung briefly makes a face. “Junhui… Look, say what you will about this. Say I’m- I’m making mountains out of molehills, but I know love when I see it.”

It’s ridiculous to feel guilty right then, to feel embarrassed at that word… Junhui has thought to himself a dozen times over the word ‘love’ in regards to Minghao. Thinking of his mannerisms and thinking of how Minghao is suppose to be ‘in love’ with Junhui, but suddenly Soonyoung’s said it and it feels like such a damn real thing.

“I think… You desperately just want to see the last few single friends… Find somebody... “ Junhui jokes.

Soonyoung picks up on the humor and laughs lightly. “Maybe, or maybe I just want to see whatever the hell is going on with you two over.”

“I thought ‘whatever the hell’ was just… Him- Him being in love with me.”

Soonyoung makes a face. “Right, how could I forget.”

 

**Three days and one afternoon.**

 

As October grows closer, Minghao spies Junhui across the street. He waves him down and they start walking together, holding a pleasant conversation.

Four times now, Junhui notices Minghao’s fidgeting hands. Four times Minghao eventually opts to shove his hands in his pockets, only to pull them out a few passing minutes later and restart the cycle. Maybe Junhui can just write that off as Minghao being cold, but indecisive. Still, the feeling of wanting to take Minghao’s cold hand grows.

The idea of just how cute Minghao might look once Junhui reaches forward and gingerly holds their pinkies together practically eats away at him, thinking about the blush that might settle on Minghao’s cheeks - not that he’s the blushing type, Junhui doesn’t think anyways. It was probably the weather.

At some point, just as Minghao’s funny work story comes to an end, Junhui suddenly speaks up. “Remember a bit ago? The- The night Gyu and Cheol Hyung got together… I got buzzed and you insisted to drive me home?”

Minghao rolls his eyes in a flushed embarrassment. “I did not _insist_ to do anything… I offered to drive you home.” He laughs in a tiny kind of way, his laughter slipping out in a gentle way that bubbles up like the beer Minghao poured so slowly that same night. “I do remember you curling up in the backseat and mumbling about me being cute and shit…” He seems so embarrassed and cute. Minghao is _so_ damn cute, it’s the only word that comes to Junhui’s mind.

“You are cute.”

Junhui regrets the blurt for a moment, but then Minghao’s big eyes stares up at him, shining with excitement. “Slick, Wen,” Minghao tries to flirt back.

Then, obviously, it occurs to Junhui that they must be flirting - they are so totally flirting right now, like very clearly flirting.

People with crushes flirt, don’t they? Minghao must have a crush on Junhui, Soonyoung must be right - and so that would mean that Junhui has a crush on Minghao, wouldn’t it? Or maybe Junhui is just excited by the idea of having someone like him. But then again it’s Minghao, someone that Junhui isn’t totally opposed to the idea of holding hands with and maybe giving kisses and watching him blush and be cute from the kisses.

“Do you remember when you- you and I got up to the apartment? My apartment, I mean...”

“Yeah.”

“And- And-” Junhui sees a figure out the corner of his eyes, waving over to them and crossing the street. It was actually three people. Jihoon, Chan, and Vernon. He wants to throw himself into traffic. But there is no traffic. Perfect. “And you talked about… Me choking on my vomit… Like a creep.”

Minghao’s eyes follow Junhui’s, all the way to their friends. He’s red again, and was probably only the cold weather. “It was a _legitimate_ concern of mine--”

“Hey, guys!” Chan greets loudly. “You guys up for a movie? We were on our way…”

Without any excuses to give, Minghao and Junhui agree.

 

**Two weeks and one day.**

 

The steady, loud knocking at Junhui’s bedroom door scares the shit out of him. He literally falls straight out of bed. “What the fuck?” He shouts, confused and trapped in his blanket cocoon.

“Are you decent?” Soonyoung asks, unbothered. “I don’t care - I hope you’re decent, I’m coming in. I’ve seen your penis before. I don’t care.”

“I- I thought I locked the door—“

Soonyoung opens the door, seeing Junhui in a sad, tangled mess on the floor. “I’m not sure if you mean now - which, spoiler, you didn’t lock the door - or the time I unfortunately saw your penis - which, spoiler, you didn’t lock the door then either.”

In his still groggy and half asleep state, Junhui can only think to defend his genitals. “Excuse me? Unfortunate? Anyone that’s seen my dick has never complained, I’ll have you know—”

“Well, I had to walk in on you and Yanan… Truthfully, if I wasn’t sexually attracted to _literally_ only Wonwoo, I probably wouldn’t of cared.” Soonyoung turns on a light - or opens the curtains, Junhui can’t tell. “ I was just trying to find double-a batteries, you understand.”

Junhui rolls his eyes to himself, giving up on trying to pull himself free. “Uh-huh. It was two years ago. _Let it go_ … Anyways, is there something you need?”

“Yes! Actually.” Soonyoung stands above Junhui’s slightly lifeless, blanket covered form. “Were you on a fucking date with Minghao?”

“Huh?”

“Jihoon and I were on the phone, talking about that fat dick my man gave me—”

“—You’re a top—”

“—And I bring up the date night as a whole, mention the movie we saw, Jihoon tells me he already saw it with you two, as well as Chan and Vernon… Poor Jihoon was fifth wheeling… And then he mentions that he ran into you two…”

Junhui peers up from his cocoon. “We literally ran into each other. Minghao and I didn’t plan it… We were just talking. Honest.”

“Uh-huh. Minghao was blushing, bitch.”

“You used to be much more understanding about this situation,” Junhui comments.

From his hovering position above Junhui, Soonyoung narrows his eyes. “Yeah but, it’s been two months and I’m getting fed up. I’m pretty sure you like him, too. Please just admit it to me.”

“I don’t like him and he doesn’t fucking like me.” Soonyoung kicks Junhui. “Dude! What the fuck?”

“Just fucking date already, you both make me sick. I’m going to Wonwoo’s.”

“What? So you can go choke on his cock so then you’re actually sick?” Junhui mumbles from the blanket mound. He gets kicked again. “Would you fucking stop that!?”

 

**Three days.**

 

Finally finding an excuse to, for lack of better terms, corner Jihoon, Junhui immediately asks him about what he told Soonyoung. “Did you imply to Soonyoung the outing was _romantic_?”

“There was… Five of us. I would have been kind of lonely—” Junhui gives him a look. “Okay, but to be fair, I was stuck with Chan and Vernon already, who honestly can’t just get over it and go out by themselves… And then you two were there and you guys have always been weird…”

 _Always_. Always been weird. Soonyoung only pointed out this crush business a few months ago and Junhui only started noticing things more often a bit after that, and Jihoon has never necessarily been one to exaggerate things too much. So them acting weird must have been going on for awhile… How long has Junhui known Minghao at this point anyways? How long have they been acting weird?

“Well… Now Soonyoung thinks I’ve hidden something from him, because he thinks I was on a date with Minghao. I wasn’t on a date with Minghao. It wasn’t a date, okay? We were just talking- Like we didn’t even plan that, we just ran into each other.”

Jihoon nods. “Alright... Cool.”

“It wasn’t a date. I don’t- I don’t even want to go on a date.”

“A date… With Minghao.”

“Yeah.”

“Alright... Cool.”

“Would you stop that?”

 

**One week and two days.**

 

Junhui is stretched out on Wonwoo’s couch, looking for comfort, but not in the mood for gloating from Soonyoung. “Everyone says Minghao and I… Like each other.”

“Because you do.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Harsh.”

“You spend too much time with your boyfriend.”

“I see.”

Eventually, Junhui looks up to Wonwoo, frowning deeply. “Soonyoung said the word ‘love’ like it’s nothing. Like, he looked at me and said, ‘I know love when I see it.’ Like, shut up. You know nothing. At all. Stupid boy. I speak three languages. What’s ‘go fuck yourself’ in Cantonese, Soonyoung? You don’t know. Shut up.”

Offering his bit of wisdom, Wonwoo takes a seat on the arm of the couch. “You sound like you’re in denial, to be honest.”

“Shut up. Shut up, Wonwoo. What’s ‘shut up, you’re stupid’ in Cantonese, Wonwoo? You don’t know. Shut up.”

He nudges Junhui. “I’m going to tell Soonyoung about this if you don’t stop with the Cantonese bullshit. What’s ‘shut the fuck up, you like Minghao’ in Korean, Junhui? Oh yeah, you know that. Shut the fuck up, you like Minghao.”

“He doesn’t… Like me.”

“I’m gonna fucking hit you.”

 

**Three hours.**

 

Junhui just admitted to Soonyoung he has a thing for Minghao. Soonyoung threatens to throw a roll of paper towels at him for not telling him sooner. Then Soonyoung insists that Minghao likes him back. “No, he doesn’t,” Junhui nearly whines. “Shut up. You’re stupid. What’s ‘Shut up, Soonyoung, Minghao doesn’t like me’ in Cantonese. You don’t--”

“I’m gonna fucking hit you.”

“Stop spending so much time with your boyfriend.”

At this point, Soonyoung just quietly waddles over to Junhui at the breakfast bar, looking at him solemnly. “You seriously believe he doesn’t like you, do you?” Junhui doesn’t look at Soonyoung. “Jun, you’re one of my absolute best friends in the world, I would probably die for you.”

“You’re overdramatic.”

“Okay, yeah, but I would totally do some dumb shit for you. As long as it ultimately benefits you in the end.”

“Okay…”

Soonyoung gives a sad, pouty look to Junhui. “Four months ago, I noticed you fell asleep on the couch at Jeonghan’s old, shitty apartment.”

“Yeah?”

“It was a party, there was drinking, I figured you must of got a little drunk and drifted off,” Soonyoung continues. “I’m kind of bummed out, because I knew I would either have to try and drag-slash-carry you home or watch over your intoxicated ass the whole night. I remember thinking of how the fuck I was suppose to explain to Wonwoo that, no, I can’t go home with him and have amazing sex, I have to babysit a drunk, Chinese boy.”

“I’ve never said this, but I’m glad you guys have such a healthy sex life.”

Soonyoung smiles. “Thanks, I’m glad someone supports us.” He continues on with his story. “Anyways, I was about to go find Wonwoo to give the awful news, when I look back to you curled up on the couch and… Minghao is sat next to you. All criss-cross-applesauce and he’s just looking at you… Which sounds weird… But you weren’t actually asleep. You were like… Half asleep. Just conscious enough to carry some vague conversation about how you would regret this in the morning and how bad your hangover would suck.” Soonyoung takes a breath. “You were playing with his fingers and I could just… See from the way he was looking at you that he was absolutely fuckin’ lovestruck…”

In some effort to reply rather than, maybe, burst into tears, Junhui just makes a soft noise before finally managing to say. “You’ve never told me this.”

“Minghao caught me the next morning and begged me not to… He said ‘it’s already obvious enough.’”

Junhui turns away for a second, overwhelmed and too embarrassed to look at Soonyoung for the moment. “I don’t remember that. Was I that drunk?”

“Maybe… I never bothered to tell you about it before because of the promise, I hoped you’d come to the realization he was completely gone for you on your own, but… I feel like this is an acception.”

 

**Twenty six minutes.**

 

Junhui arrives at Mingyu, Minghao’s, and, now by default, Seungcheol’s apartment close to half an hour later. It was getting colder with each passing day and his jacket was nowhere near heavy enough for the weather.

Cliche, but the entire walk there Junhui was occupying himself with thoughts of Minghao. Confessing to Minghao, holding his cute hands, giving him soft little kisses on his cheeks and watching him blush, even if Minghao might not be a blusher, and reiterating a million times over just how absolutely cute Junhui thought Minghao was.

And then ever so tragically, Junhui gets inside the apartment building lobby to realize that, one, the weather chapped his lips and, two, he didn’t have chapstick because usually Soonyoung carried some on him and this was the absolute worst time to have chapped lips and no chapstick. He’s about to confess that he is terribly in love-like-whatever-the-fuck with Minghao, and his lips are chapped.

Regardless of his dry lips, Junhui is still walking up the two flights of stairs to apartment seventeen to knock on the door and absolutely spill his guts out to Minghao. His hands were starting to get clammy, but of course they were.

When it starts to occur he’s been standing outside apartment number seventeen for six minutes and still hasn’t made a move to knock, or anything, he begins to worry that building security will be looking at the security footage and think either ‘oh shit is this a burglar’ or ‘is this some nerd who can’t just knock on a door and confess his feelings to someone he knows that probably likes him’ which, if anything, is the former.

So now Junhui is thinking about how big the possibility is that maybe Minghao just got right the fuck over his crush on Junhui within the span of like three days, or something, and never bothered to tell anyone and now Junhui is about to confess - he can hear chatter and music from inside, they probably have people over, oh god.

What if he invited his parents over? What if Minghao’s mother and father are inside and Junhui goes inside and starts rambling about how he loves Minghao and he heard from Soonyoung and a handful of other people that Minghao likes him, too, and oh god, what if Minghao isn’t even out to his parents? What if Junhui accidently fucking outs Minghao to his parents?

Oh no Junhui is knocking on the door. And in some terrible last attempt to make his lips somewhat presentable, he wets them with his tongue just as the door opens.

Minghao is staring back at him with big eyes and a smile starts on his face. Junhui can see Minghao roommate(s) behind him, along with a handful of other mutual friends, along with some he doesn’t really know very well. No parents, though.

Junhui doesn’t care because he’s stepping inside and puts two hands on Minghao’s shoulders. “Is it okay if I kiss you?” He asks, but in Mandarin, to save from some embarrassment.

Just as quickly as the words tumbled out, Minghao is nodding and blushing - holy shit, Junhui is almost in awe because, Minghao is a blusher. He blushes and he’s cute - so, so very fucking cute when he blushes.

It hits Junhui, again, just as quickly is that Minghao just agreed to kiss. He wants to kiss Junhui. Holy shit.

So Junhui leans forward and kisses Minghao softly, he hears clear claps and whoops from their friends - and Minghao’s friends - all rushing to say how long they’ve been waiting just to see the two of them get together, or something.

Junhui’s lips are still a little chapped and Minghao’s teeth bump into his, causing Minghao to make a surprised squeak and nearly pull away - but he doesn’t.

Once the kiss ends, Minghao stares at Junhui with stars in his eyes.

“Why- Why did… You do that?” 

Junhui’s heart sinks down to the bottom of his chest, thudding like a rock and echoing inside of Junhui. He wants to be sick - lowkey - he probably will have to run back out into the cold and never look back. He’s misread all the signs, oh god, Minghao did not want Junhui to kiss him. He’s an idiot.

“I just-um-“ Minghao starts again. “It was fine! Perfect, even! I’ve been- been thinking about that for ages... But why… Now?”

Okay, Junhui feels a bit better. “I’ve got a huge, mega, humongous crush on you and I have been trying to sort through that forever now… And I only realized now… That I should do that.”

“Oh…” Minghao’s blush rises again and Junhui is thrilled, Minghao blushes and he’s adorable when he does. “Okay. That’s- That’s wonderful.”

“Absolutely fantastic.”

Minghao blushes again and this time Junhui calls him cute to his face.


End file.
